ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION / SCIENCE FACT  The premiere science fiction magazine, Analog started out as "Astounding Science Fiction Stories" some 80 years ago and is still going strong! I have had several pieces published this year and several others are pending. These include, but only in part:

THE BLACK HOLE PROJECT SERIES by Gerald D. Nordley and C. Sanford Lowe. This series of five novellas covers the future history of
an engineering project of staggering proportion: the creation of an artificial mini-black hole that could offer an awesome source of energy -- or be
perverted into a terrible weapon in the wrong hands! Nordley and Lowe envision a future world where biological aging and death by natural causes and disease have been virtually eliminated, where induced human hibernation is common in spaceflight, and mighty starships (the design of which are based upon a solid scientifically-feasible premise) ply the space lanes between stars in our "local" neighborhood. I have been fortunate to have been assigned all five of the tales in this epic work: at this writing, four are already in print: "Kremer's Limit", "Imperfect Gods", "The Small Pond", and most recently "Loki's Realm" in the July/August issue. (The concluding episode, "Vertex", is currently slated for the September 2007 issue. An illustration I created for Dr. Nordley at his request, based upon the Nordley/Lowe starship and the situations depicted in "Vertex" can be found here, but until it's published I can't show you the actual illustration for the magazine.)

ALSO IN THE JULY/AUGUST ISSUE:  Michael F. Flynn suggests that, had an actual document that was lost throughout the Dark Ages been rediscovered earlier than it was, history might have taken a *very* different course. His story, "Quaestiones Super Caelo et Mundo", afforded me an opportunity to create an ambitious still-life, and the accompanying science-fact article in the issue, "De Revolutione Scientarium In 'Media Tempestas' " is a fascinating peek into the workings of an inquisitive and intelligent mind, to say nothing of a very different present had very small things changed in our past.

ALSO IN THE JULY/AUGUST ISSUE:  (Whew, it reminds me of the "gool old days"! Out of five stories with illustrations in this issue, I have three of them ... and I'm in pretty fast company, to boot -- the incomparable Vincent DiFate and the amazing Nick Jainschigg, whom I have yet to meet but look forward to the opportunity!) In any event, my third illustration in this issue takes me 'way, 'way back... back to the day I did the first story I'm aware of by one Bud Webster to introduce a very pragmatic and hilariously nonchalant character named Bubba Pritchert. Bubba is a simple but clever mechanic, a "good ol' boy" and a science fiction fan, thrown into an amazing circumstance by being able to accept the presence of extraterrestrials without batting an eye. In that first story, "Bubba Pritchert and the Space Aliens", he helps some stranded 'visitors' repair their flying saucer ... and in this issue, "Bringing It All Back Home" has Bubba using his 'payment' for that kindness to return an Apollo-era artifact from the Moon at the behest of the Smithsonian. The popular-culture references are as hilarious as they are nostalgic, Bubba is a tough, no-nonsense character with charm and wit to spare -- not to mention, a really *severe* ace up his sleeve -- and Bud Webster brings him to life with absolute believability. (My illustration for the piece, which will eventually appear on these pages, shows a moment that Webster brings to life with awe and wonder and absolute reverence for his subject matter, and as it turns out was the very scene he had hoped would accompany the story.)

PENDING, PUBLICATION DATE UNKNOWN:  I have recently finished a piece for ANALOG called "These Are The Times" for which I again called upon the indulgence of Mrs. Redeye Knight to model for me. Did you know that Boston, Mass. was CRAWLING with time travellers in April, 1775? Well, it makes sense ... this was a pivotal moment in American history. I did my homework (as usual) and discovered that several buildings built prior to "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" are still standing ... Bostonians will recognize "The (old) Globe Corner Bookstore" in the illustration, as Thomas Crease's Apothecary Shop appearing (as best I could manage) the way it did during the American Revolution. (I didn't realize how small Boston was in those days ... one of the things I love about my job as a science-fiction illustrator is learning to love history the way I never could in school. Or at least appreciate it ..) 

If you haven't guessed yet, I highly recommend "ANALOG" -- and not just because they publish my work from time to time. The magazine is still unfailingly entertaining and challenging, well worth your time to find and read if you don't already.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE  "Dump deedle-de dump dee-dee" ... Hitchcock's is a staple in any mystery reader's library and a lot of fun!

THE RIVER MARKET MURDERS  Set in Kansas City, Missouri, I enlisted the help of The Dawn Patrol (a science fiction and aviation special interest group) to do research for this piece. I look forward to meeting some of them and seeing many of the rest again in August at Tuckercon.

THE SURVIVING SPOUSE  Mrs. Redeye Knight posed for me again for this tale of intrigue, infidelity, and large-caliber handguns. (Not her infidelity, but her handgun.) A great tale with a serious twist at the end, but not quite as twisted as the one found in:

THE PASSENGER  -- THIS one was so subtle that I wasn't sure I had received the entire manuscript! When I realized that I had, and all of its implications, I got chills. This was a brilliant story, masterfully crafted, and I can't say another word about it without giving away too much. Read it! It will put knots in your gut when you grasp how an unfortunate series of accidents can combine to allow someone to get away with a perfect murder!

APHELION, THE WEBZINE OF SCIENCE FICTION
I heard a rumor that there was a webzine that specialized as a "writers' workshop online" that invited aspiring authors to submit new tales, contribute to shared world stories reminiscent of Spider Robinson's immortal "Callahan's Place" series, and have their work critiqued by other readers of the publication. Object: honing one's writing skills, gaining confidence, accepting editorial commentary -- in short, dealing with things one must do to become a professional writer. (I never intended to be an artist: I was a Professional Writing major at the University of Oklahoma, minoring in Cinematography.) This took me back to the days when, as a sophomore in High School, I became a member of a similar operation called "Spock Underground", created by Carle' Johnson and Naomi Bradfield, among others. (Gene Roddenberry himself suggested that I get in touch with them, on genuine Star Trek stationery ... pretty heady stuff for a 16-year-old who had never heard of fandom before that moment!) In those days, collaborative fanfic efforts like this were published in stinky purple "ditto" or, if one could afford it, smeary Mimeograph and perhaps the occasional Electrostencil. I'll bet most of you have no idea what I'm talking about. With the advent of the Internet, phannish publications have become beautiful full-color pieces that have work from all over the world and don't require a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to be delivered to you, anywhere in the world. APHELION published a cover I offered them for their April 2007 issue, and I have been in touch with several of their contributors as a result with the object of producing illustrations for their Samizdats, as well as possible future work in Aphelion.